The Seafarer: Chicago Premiere of Irish Drama at Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents The Seafarer by Conor McPherson. This dark, eerily humorous Irish drama tells the story of Sharky, a Dubliner who unwittingly finds himself playing cards for his immortal soul. The play makes its Chicago premiere following a successful run on Broadway.

Description

Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents _The Seafarer _by Conor McPherson, directed by ensemble member Randall Arney. The production features ensemble members Francis Guinan, Tom Irwin, John Mahoney and Alan Wilder with Randall Newsome.

It’s Christmas Eve in Dublin. In the rundown house where Sharky cares for his blind brother, old acquaintances gather for a card game—joined by an ominous stranger. As the booze flows and the game intensifies, Sharky discovers he is playing for his soul. In this eerie, darkly humorous tale, celebrated playwright Conor McPherson examines how we face the demons of our past as we struggle to find redemption.

The Seafarer makes its Chicago premiere following a critically-acclaimed Broadway run.

Born in Dublin, playwright Conor McPherson’s plays include include The Seafarer (premiered on Broadway in 2007), Poor Beast in the Rain, Port Authority, Dublin Carol (premiered on Broadway in 2002), The Weir (premiered on Broadway in 1999), St Nicholas and This Lime Tree Bower. Mr. McPherson won London’s prestigious Olivier Award for _The Weir _and received a Tony nomination for Shining City.

Ensemble member Randall Arney has directed Conor McPherson’s The Weir at L.A.’s Geffen Playhouse, where he serves as Artistic Director. Other directing credits include Atlanta, Speed the Plow, All My Sons, Take Me Out, I Just Stopped by to See the Man, Boy Gets Girl and God’s Man In Texas. Steppenwolf Broadway transfers under his leadership include The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, The Song of Jacob Zulu (six Tony Award nominations) and The Grapes of Wrath (Tony Award winner).

About the Ticket Supplier: Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is an internationally-renowned company of thirty-five artists whose talents include acting, directing, playwriting, filmmaking, and textual adaptation. Steppenwolf has redefined the landscape of acting and performance by spawning a generation of America's most gifted artists, including Joan Allen, John Mahoney, John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Martha Plimpton and Gary Sinise. No other American theater ensemble has survived as long and thrived as much as the Steppenwolf company of artists, who return home to Chicago to do the work they love.